


Infected

by Headphone_Love



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Hinata Shouyou, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, Hurt Hinata Shouyou, Inspired by Pride Month, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Minor Violence, Super minor - Freeform, Worried Sugawara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-19 13:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11313939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Headphone_Love/pseuds/Headphone_Love
Summary: Hinata struggles with himself and wonders why things have become so confusing.His stomach hurts.-------“Infected? With what, Shouyou?”The ginger straightened in his chair, tired eyes landing on the third year. He squinted, unsure of what the other was asking.“Sorry, what?”





	1. Coming Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys, gals, and pals!  
> Here I am, back at it again with a Sugahina fic as requested.  
> After talking with people who I know on their coming out stories and making sure it was okay to use them for this story, I have implemented the reactions and the tales into one lovely little Sugahina story for you all. 
> 
> Happy Pride Month, everyone. I hope you are all safe and loved~ 
> 
> ~HxL

Hinata’s eyes were glued to the television screen, heart pounding in his chest as he felt a shudder move through him.

It was colorful: people dancing and cheering to the upbeat music. Some were scantily clad—enough to make Hinata’s cheeks turn a deep red—and other’s dressed from head to toe. His ten-year-old eyes couldn’t pull away from the screen as he watched the new report.

“Parade,” he whispered quietly to himself, unsure of why that was the word that popped out to him. He wasn’t as good at English as most of his classmates, but he always remembered the fun words.’Parade’ was a celebration, but what were they celebrating? He continued to watch, eyes growing wide when a couple was zoomed into on one of the floats. They were holding hands and raising them to the sky. The way the two men were staring at each other made Hinata’s heart warm, a comfortable atmosphere moving over him.

They looked the way his parents did whenever they looked at each other.

He guessed that was love.

He leaned toward only for the television screen to flicker away, his own face greeting him in the reflection.

“Ha?!” he shouted, raising his hands to the screen until he heard a throat clear. He froze, looking over his shoulder to see his uncle staring at him with a stern expression.

Hinata gulped.

“A-Ah, Uncle,” he greeted, standing and bowing his head. “Welcome back,”

“Why were you watching that?”

Hinata parted his lips, looking from the screen back to the elder male. Stating that it was because he was curious was definitely out of the question. It had popped up in the news, and he was drawn to the way the colors looked like a rainbow on some flags but were a mixture of colors on others.

“It, was, um, on the screen when I got back from school. I was watching for the volleyball results…” he explained as the male seemed to relax.

“Don’t watch things like that, Shouyou,” he said, leaning forward and ruffling his hair gently. Hinata frowned and picked at the lint on his uniform. He didn’t look up at his uncle again as he spoke.

“Why not, Uncle?”

The man’s eyes hardened.

“That...that is a poison. It’ll infect your mind. Don’t let it get to you,” he explained.

Hinata swallowed hard. He nodded, though the words didn’t sit well with him.

“Focus on volleyball and finding a nice woman and settling down once you get older,” his uncle said with a nod. “That way you’ll be truly happy,” he finished, turning to leave the room with the remote in hand.

Once he was gone, the elementary schooler placed a hand on his chest and wondered why he had felt so shocked at being caught watching the parade of all things. It wasn’t as if it was anything bad...right?

 _‘What did he mean to not watch things like that?’_ he thought.

“Shou! Can you come help me with the dishes before dinner?”

He perked up, ignoring the way his stomach knotted uncomfortably.

“Okay!” he called back, running towards the kitchen, still pink in the cheeks.

* * *

When Hinata turned 13, he had his first kiss. It wasn’t anything like he had imagined, it being with a classmate in a game of spin the bottle.

A _male_ classmate.

The other hadn’t seemed phased at all, laughing and patting him on the back.

“No need to look so scared man! Don’t worry, I don’t play for that team,” he promised.

Hinata laughed along, but the empty feeling in his chest grew.

“Yeah, me neither!” he said, turning and winking at the girls in the circle. The group laughed, and Hinata was proud he had managed to act naturally around them all.

On the inside, he was terrified.

* * *

Entering high school was a moment of truth for Hinata. It was his chance to start new without any of his old friends around. He had made many great ones, but also many equally awful ones. This time, he would avoid feelings other than platonic and focus on the one thing he had been working toward since childhood: Volleyball.  

He was prepared to take on the world and with an actual team, he was _sure_ he could do it.

What he wasn’t sure of, however, was whether he could get along with the snarky person he had to call a setter.

_“I’ll toss to anyone who is essential to winning. But I don’t think you are essential to winning right now,”_

The words had crushed him, sending shockwaves through his body as he stood frozen in his spot. He could have cried with how frustrating the words were, but instead, he turned it into hard work. He practiced non-stop, ran more every day, practiced with all the other team members.

But it didn’t seem to be helping at all.

“I can set to you if you’d like,”

Hinata perked up, eyes lighting up at the offer. The white haired setter grinned wide, holding up a “V” sign.

“I am Karasuno’s official setter, you know,”

Hinata felt his cheeks flush in excitement, though a moment after he returned to sulking.

“I feel like if you did that….I’d kinda feel like I’ve lost,”

The other laughing at him caught him off guard, the first year taking in a deep breath. His senpai had an oddly nice laugh. It made Hinata feel comfortable, though he wondered whether it was simply because the elder was his superior or if it was because of how kind he naturally looked.

“Just consider this. If he was your most formidable rival, now he is your most formidable ally!”

The words themselves might have seemed small to the setter, but to Hinata, he felt an epiphany hit him.

Kageyama was not the game. He was a teammate, whether he wanted to be or not.

“R-Right!” Hinata spoke, eyes determined. He bowed his head, shutting his eyes. “Thank you, Sugawara-san!”

The ginger tensed when he felt a gentle hand ruffle his hair. His eyes opened slowly, head raising to see Sugawara smiling down at him.

“I’m always here if you need advice, remember that,” he reminded, holding up a finger. “One rule of being a good senpai is being able to help a kohai in a time of uncertainty,”

A smile crossed Hinata’s lips, shoulders relaxing.

“So that must mean you are a good senpai then, huh?” he asked, a slight teasing tone to his words. The white haired setter pulled his hand away in surprise, a slight tint crossing his cheeks.

“Oi, your senpai is trying to help you!” he said as he reached out to grab the ginger, though he moved back easily and grinned.

“And you really have! I’ll remember that,  _senpai_ ,” Hinata said with a laugh as he ran off, Sugawara running after him, telling him he would have to receive twice as many spikes to make up for lost time.

Hinata figured that was a more so a favor, as it meant the setter would be spending lunches with him even more than before.

The smile on his face grew wider.

* * *

 It was months into the school year when his uncle returned for a visit. Hinata hated when he came to visit, as whenever he did the only question he would have involved his personal life.

“Hinata, have you got a girlfriend yet?”

The ginger flinched, poking at his dinner with his fork as his uncle eyed him intensely.

“No, sir,”

The man grumbled, his mother clearing her throat, unamused at the chosen dinner topic.

“How is volleyball going, sweetie?” she asked with a smile. He returned it weakly, nodding his head.

“It is great. The setters on our team are amazing. Kageyama makes the ball go ‘’ha!’ while Sugawara makes the ball go ‘whoosh’,”

“All this talk about your teammates and you don’t have one girl you could mention?”

His mother narrowed her eyes, and Hinata knew what was coming. It was something that happened almost every time he visited.

“Gin, can I speak to you privately for a moment?” she asked, the male raising a brow at her. He let out a defeated breath, standing and leaving the kitchen, Hinata’s mother following behind.

Natsu looked at Hinata curiously, tilting her head.

“What do you think they are talking about this time?”

Hinata forced another smile onto his face.

“Who knows? Though it seemed really important, huh?” he said with a small laugh. “Eat your food, Natsu. I am sure they will be back soon,”

She shrugged, continuing to eat as Hinata placed a hand on his stomach.

He had lost his appetite.

* * *

 That night the recurring dream he always had whenever his uncle came to visit played on a loop.

Hinata tossed and turned, trying his best to clear the thoughts and dream about anything else.

Volleyball, His family, His team, _anything_.

Despite this, each dream ended with him flinching awake and nearly falling off the bed, arms over his face and sweat covering his body. His arms slowly lowered once he was sure he was awake.

He ran a hand through his hair and moved to lay back against the sheets. He curled into himself, waiting until it was light enough to get up without being suspicious.

* * *

“Infected? With what, Shouyou?”

The ginger straightened in his chair, tired eyes landing on the third year. He squinted, unsure of what the other was asking.

“Sorry, what?”

Sugawara frowned and pointed at him with his chopsticks. Their lunchtime practices had slowly become half practice, half talking as the months went on. It wasn’t unwelcome, but Hinata wondered why the third year didn’t eat with the other members of the team instead of him. It wasn’t like he needed to cram training anymore since Kageyama had long accepted him as part of the team.

“You said you didn’t want to be infected...are you ill?”

Hinata took a moment to process the statement before his eyes went wide. He placed a hand over his mouth, shocked he had said that without even realizing.

He laughed nervously and waved his free hand to dismiss the topic.

“I was just thinking about a scary movie I saw last week!” he explained, rubbing the back of his neck. “I keep having nightmares about being infected and all that,”

Sugawara frowned, reaching out to touch the first year’s cheek gently. He forced Hinata to raise his face, looking over it carefully.

“You do look a bit tired,” the setter pointed out in concern. Hinata looked away, the smile weakening as he raised a hand to brush off Sugawara’s own. His heart was racing entirely too fast, the same applying to his thoughts. Whenever Sugawara touched him, even if it was only a tap on the shoulder or pat on the back, he would begin to feel a bit too ‘gwah!’ for his liking.

“I’ll stop watching them before bed, that must be it,” Hinata assured with a large grin, though his teammate didn’t seem too convinced.

“Yeah. Must be,” Sugawara agreed, eyes remaining on the shorter male. His smile returned, his chopsticks picking at his food and eating silently. Hinata looked down at his nearly complete bento, covering it to save for later.

He stood, grinning at the setter.

“Wanna practice now?” he asked, beginning to remove his sweater.

“Ha? You sure you don’t want to eat a little more?” Sugawara insisted, watching Hinata closely. “I don’t want you collapsing on me from overwork.”

The ginger just waved a hand and began to jump in his spot.

“I am sure! I am too pumped to continue sitting around,”

The third year let out a tiny laugh—half air and half sound—and nodded, covering his lunch and removing his own sweater.

“You better be ready, your receives could still use a bit of work. Let’s try to knock out some of your bad habits now,”

Hinata grinned and nodded, not missing the way that Sugawara seemed to return the action.

“Right!”

* * *

 

As Hinata walked home, he rubbed his stomach and frowned. It had been hurting a lot lately, though he couldn’t pinpoint the reason. He hadn’t eaten anything funny and he had made sure to stay hydrated throughout practice.

“Oi,”

He looked over at his fellow first year, tilting his head. He had almost forgotten that Kageyama was walking with him, the taller male watching him with narrowed eyes.

“You eat something weird?”

Hinata cracked a smile, shaking his head. It was funny how similar his and Kageyama’s minds worked sometimes. It was equally as comforting, all things considered.

“No, I was thinking about it too. I don’t think I ate anything that would cause it.”

Kageyama sighed and nudged him.

“Don’t go getting sick. We still need to practice the quick and make sure we raise the accuracy rate,”

“I know that, Bakageyama. I won’t. I just…” he trailed off, stopping in his spot and taking in a deep breath. Kageyama stopped and turned to look at him, raising a brow at his partner. Hinata wasn’t sure what possessed him to tell Kageyama of all people, but if there was anyone to tell, it’d be him.

“If I ask you a question promise you won’t freak out,”

The setter rolled his eyes and shoved the other lightly.

“Spit it out, Hinata,”

Clearing his throat, he obliged.

“How do you know when you are...you know…”

The setter removed his hands from his pockets, crossing his arms impatiently.

“No, I don’t know,” he said, “Be more specific, idiot,”

Hinata bit his lower lip and cleared his throat.

“Gay. How do you know?”

His eyes remained downcast, terrified of what Kageyama’s reaction would be. Disgust? Confusion?

It was a term Hinata had come to acknowledge, though for some reason it remained synonymous with ‘infected’ in his mind. He knew it had to do with his uncle, and it both angered and upset him.

“Well do you like guys?” Kageyama questioned.

“I...I think so,” he said with a small nod. His mind flickered back to his first kiss.

“Okay. Do you like girls?”

Hinata nodded again, this time seeming less hesitant.

“Then you could be a number of things, though I am not entirely sure why that would be bothering you. Since when have you cared about things like that?”

“Since my—” he started, but he silenced himself quickly. “I just have been. Isn’t it weird? Liking guys?”

Kageyama snorted.

“About as weird as liking girls,” he said easily. “Relationships overall are weird and confusing. That’s why I am not interested in them,” he muttered under his breath.

Hinata would have made a comment if not for how terrified he felt. Kageyama reached out the slap the other on the back.

“Don’t get hung up on a title. Just do what you want. You are used to doing that anyway, aren’t you?”

Hinata perked up, eyes wide at the advice.

“Woah...when did you get so good with people, Bakageyama?!”

The setter felt his eye twitch and reached out for the ginger, chasing after him when he broke into a sprint.

“That is the last time I help you with your shitty problems, you dumbass!”

Hinata let out a laugh—bright and unabashed—the air against his face cooling him down.

“Thanks for the talk anyway, Kageyama!” he said sincerely, only spurring the setter into speeding up.

“You better run!”

* * *

 

Hinata sucked in a breath as he stared at the door of the guest room. He swallowed hard, clearing his throat as he raised a fist to knock. He paused, shaking his head and pulling his hand away as he began to pace.

What would his uncle say?

What would _he_ say?

He couldn’t even decipher what it was that he felt, let alone explain it in words. Maybe he should wait to tell him when he was entirely sure and—

“What are you doing?”

Hinata jumped and turned, staring his uncle in the eye.

“U-Uncle! You weren’t in your room?”

The man scrunched his nose and moved passed him to open the door. It creaked, sending a shiver down Hinata’s spine.

“I was in the bathroom. Can a man not piss in peace?”

Hinata offered a quiet apology, standing outside the door as the elder huffed.

“Well? Are you going to come in or should I shut the door in your face?”

The first year student straightened, bowing his head and entering quickly as the door closed behind him. The room itself was dark, the television flickering on a random channel. The lights were dimmed, no doubt due to his Uncle’s refusal to waste electricity.

The more Hinata thought about it, the more old-fashioned his uncle truly behaved.

His stomach lurched uncomfortably.

“So? Speak, boy. I don’t have all night,”

Hinata nodded and offered him a smile.

“Right. I wanted to talk to you about something,” he began. “It is important, so listen until I finish, okay?”

“Did you go and kill someone? Why the warm up?” he asked with a raised brow, a smirk on his lips. “Go on, I am listening,” he promised.

_‘For how long, though?’_

“You always ask me why I don’t have a girlfriend yet, and so I wanted to give you an answer,”

His uncle immediately seemed more interested, eyes widening ever so slightly.

Hinata’s teeth pulled at the skin on his lower lip nervously.

“Ever since I was younger, I thought girls were cute. But I also thought guys were equally as cute,” he blurted, shutting his eyes to avoid the other’s reaction. “And so, whenever the topic came up about dating, I never really pictured one person in my head. It was always ‘this girl is my type but this guy would be my type too’”

His uncle was silent, so Hinata continued.

“And so, I wanted to tell you that having a girlfriend...it is possible, but I don’t think that it is the only possibility...does, does that make sense?”

His heart pounded in his ears, fists clenched at his side.

No response.

His nails dug painfully into his palms as he waited patiently. He knew it was a lot to take in, but he still wished his uncle would say _something_. He slowly opened his eyes, his uncle red faced with his lips in a thin line.

“You done?” the elder asked coldly.

Hinata hesitated.

“A..are you angry?”

His uncle moved closer, reaching out as Hinata’s eyes squinted in confusion. A moment later, he was being shoved against the door.

“Get out,”

Hinata’s heart dropped.

“Uncle…”

“I believe I told you to get out. I listened to your little fantasy, now let me go to sleep,”

The ginger felt his blood boil at the comment and frowned deeply.

“It isn’t a fantasy. I like girls and guys. That is real,”

“Hinata…”

“And it isn’t a bad thing. Why else would I be this way? Why would there be people who are still friends with people like me?” he demanded with a pleading tone. “Uncle, I am not a bad person!”

The elder grew silent, back turned to the teen. Hinata swallowed hard, having spoken his peace. He didn’t want to be scared about it anymore.

“You…” his uncle began, letting out a breath, “I knew it from that day you were watching that crap on the television,” he growled.

“It isn’t crap, it is celebration,”

The male turned, glaring into his nephew.

“It is _crap_ and you lied to me saying you would never. You really are one of them,”

“I didn’t lie!” he denied, shocked at the accusation.  “I didn’t know at the time. Or...I did, but I just couldn’t understand,” he tried to explain. His uncle shoved him toward the door again, this time opening it once they were close enough.

Hinata refused, moving under his arms and standing in the middle of the room with his arms outstretched.

“You said you would listen!”

The elder moved passed him as if he wasn’t there, fixing the sheets on the bed despite having done that earlier.

“I did listen, and now I want you out. No family member of mine will take part in such a disgusting lifestyle. You chose to do the opposite of what I told you and for that, you are good for nothing,”

Hinata moved forward, gripping the back of the man’s shirt desperately. He was trembling, but he refused to go on such an awful note. He knew his uncle could understand if he tried.

Why didn’t he want to try?

“Please, just think abou—”

Hinata sucked in a breath, stumbling back into the dressed and staring at his uncle with wide eyes. The sound of something crashing to the ground fell on deaf ears, his mind too focused on the throbbing of his cheek. His hands held the area carefully.

The elder man’s hand was still raised as if moving in for another strike.

“Don’t you _dare_ touch me,” he growled. “Now,” he said as he grabbed the front of Hinata’s shirt, leading him out of the room and shoving him out of the door forcefully. Hinata hit the ground roughly, looking up to see the man staring down at him with a snarl.

“Don’t speak to me. You don’t _exist_ to me,”

The door slammed a second later, Hinata sitting wordlessly on the floor of the hall.

When he managed to pull himself up, he slowly walked towards his room, face void and breathing heavy.

Natsu was skipping down the hall, stopping when she saw the state her brother was in. She gasped and ran up to him, though he didn’t stop walking.

“Nii-chan! Your face is all red!” she cried out.

He placed his good hand on her head, ruffling her hair as he passed by her.

“Just hit myself with a volleyball, Natsu. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

“But—!”

“And don’t tell mom either,” he said as he reached his room. “I don’t want to worry her. Have a good night,”

The door quietly behind him, back pressing against it as he slid down it in exhaustion. The ginger pulled his knees to his chest and felt the first few tears slip down his cheeks. He had _known_ it wouldn’t go well, so why did he still feel so disappointed at the result?

Was who he liked that important that he had to be kicked out of his uncle’s room?

Hit and yelled at?

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found the one he was looking for. He typed away, annoyed when his shaking fingers kept hitting the wrong letters.

(10:23) Bakageyama, you up?

(10:26) Who wants to know, dumbass?

Hinata choked out a laugh, shaking his head.

(10:27) I told my uncle.

(10:28) Told him what?

(10:28) About what we talked about.

…

(10:29) And? How did he react?

Hinata hesitated. His fingers tapped against the screen quickly.

(10:31) He didn’t approve.

(10:31) Shit.

(10:32) Yeah.

Hinata could hear Natsu’s little fists knocking against the door, ordering him to let her in so she could take care of his cheek.

He pretended he couldn’t hear.


	2. How Embarrassing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Then tell me how you got that gash,” Sugawara said quietly, leaning into the first year’s touch. He placed his hand atop Hinata’s own, eyes worried. “If it is fine, that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the end of this story! Thank you for the patience, and just know that this is not the end for these two ^^   
> I have some ideas for mini one shots of them as an actual couple, so please look forward to those in the future.
> 
> Onwards :D
> 
> ~HxL
> 
> *Has not been Beta'd yet and will be in the near future.*

“Hinata!"

Said teen jumped, looking up from his seated position. He had been avoiding the third year for most of the day. He had tried to ice the injury over the weekend to reduce the swelling and redness, but the area had still bruised. His uncle had avoided him—and Hinata had done the same—but it didn’t stop his parents from asking questions.

Sugawara smiled brightly at him as he jogged over, though he stopped in his spot when he noticed the swelling of his teammate's cheek.

"What the _hell_ happened to your face?!” 

Hinata shrugged, biting his lip. 

“Don’t just shrug like that,” the third-year mumbled, stepping closer. “What happened?”

Moving to stand, the first year cleared hit throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Ah, you found me,” he said, ignoring the original question entirely.

Sugawara didn’t look amused in the slightest. He crossed his arms, eyes scanning Hinata's frame as if checking for any other injuries. Finding none, he returned his gaze to Hinata's face.

“Did someone do this to you?” he asked cautiously.

“No,” the ginger said without thinking. He laughed nervously, shaking his head, “It was my mistake. Super clumsy and all that, you know?” he finished with a shrug, ruffling his hair bashfully.

Unconvinced, the setter kept his eyes on Hinata with a conflicted expression.

“Don’t look so serious, Sugawara-san,” Hinata teased. “It doesn’t even hurt much anymore and if I keep icing it—”

“This is _after_ icing it?”

The ginger rolled his eyes and moved to place his hands on his teammate’s face. He noticed the other tense at the contact, forgetting his hands were probably freezing from sitting outside so long.

“Listen to me!” he ordered, a slight pout on his lips. “It. Is. _Fine._ ”

“Then tell me how you got that gash,” Sugawara said quietly, leaning into the first year’s touch. He placed his hand atop Hinata’s own, eyes worried. “If it is fine, that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Hinata’s smile fell.

“I can’t right now,”

“Why not?”

“I just can’t,” Hinata insisted, not missing the way the third year’s eyes flickered. He cleared his throat awkwardly,  “Since you went through the trouble of finding me we should start eating! Lunch is almost over,”

He dropped his hands to turn away, but the grip on his wrist made him freeze. 

“You didn’t bring lunch again, right? I’ll share mine,” Sugawara offered.

“No, Don’t worry about it, I can get some bread and eat in the classrooms,”

“Bread won’t sustain you for the whole day,” the setter insisted. “Come on, Hinata. You have been avoiding me lately. Did I do something?”

Hinata shook his head, frowning slightly at the assumption.

“Of course not. Am I not allowed to just be alone?” he asked, slightly irritated. “I don’t always have to be around people, Sugawara-san,”

At this, Hinata yanked his hand from the taller male's grasp, walking away. Not even a moment later he was pulled back, arms wrapping around him tightly to prevent him from going any further.

“Since when do you of all people prefer being alone? That doesn’t add up. Something is up that you don’t want to tell me,”

Hinata swallowed hard, heart pounding in his chest as he felt the third year rest his chin on his shoulder. The ginger’s mind flickered to the memory of bright colors and parade floats. Couples holding hands and hugging each other close.

His uncle’s disgusted expression.

His arms were shoving the white haired male away roughly before he could process it. He stumbled back, hitting the ground and placing a hand on his forehead. His stomach knotted again, the ginger feeling a bit out of breath.

He felt _sick_.

“Hinata?”

“Sorry,” the first year whispered as he stood, grabbing his bag and running off. His legs protested as he did so, face stinging as the air brushed against his face He could have sworn he heard Sugawara calling after him, but he ignored it.

He needed to get as far away from the area as possible.

He needed to be _alone_.  

* * *

Skipping school to go to an abandoned building was probably the worst idea he had thought of since becoming a high school student.

Missing practice, he realized, was probably even worse. He loved volleyball, the way it felt when he got a spike passed blockers. The way a feint would have everyone looking up at him in shock and anger.

His legs crumbled beneath him as he reached the corner of the unfinished room, tears forming as he shut his eyes and slammed his hand into the ground.

He hated the feeling that swirled in his chest, a mixture of nervous energy and exhaustion. If he hadn’t told his uncle, he wouldn’t have pushed Sugawara away like he had. He wouldn’t have felt the need to keep his distance in fear of having people know he wasn’t ‘normal’.

‘ _Why?’_

Hinata hit the ground again, a tremor of pain moving up his arm. He cursed, sitting on his knees and cradling the hand. He felt like after what happened with his uncle he was losing his mind.

His phone rang out in his pocket, startling him out of his self-loathing long enough to realize that he was still part of the active world. He moved to sit with his back against the wall, pulling his phone from his pocket. His hand throbbed painfully, the skin broken and a small amount of blood settling. At least it took the attention away from his cheek, he mused.

After a few moments of deliberation, he opened the message and scanned over it. He let out a soft breath,  knowing who it was just from the first sentence alone.

(4:34) Where the hell are you, dumbass? Your classmates said they didn’t see you after lunch. You better not have skipped.

He bit his lip, wondering how to respond before another message popped up from a different number. He tapped on the notification, furrowing his brows.

(4:35) Hinata, where are you? Did I do something earlier? I hadn’t meant to startle you. The team is concerned.

The guilt settled in his stomach.  He pulled his legs to his chest, curling into himself. His uninjured hand squeezed the phone tightly. It was cowardly to run off, even more, selfish to worry everyone like he had. Even if it wasn’t intentional, he could have at least messaged them…

_‘But they wouldn’t have listened either,'_

His sucked in a horrified breath at his thought process. Sugawara and Kageyama had never given him a reason to doubt them, and yet here he was doing exactly that. He pulled the phone closer, reopening the messages. He began with Kageyama, it easier to think of what to say to his partner than the third year.

(5:00) I did, but I promise that there is a good reason! I’m sorry. I’ll explain tomorrow.

Short, simple, sweet.

Kageyama responded almost instantly.

(5:01) took you long enough. And fine, but you are going to practice until you get sick next time I see you. 

Hinata chuckled, sniffling as he wiped his face. Kageyama might not be the best with people, but Hinata was glad for some normalcy considering how unfamiliar everything seemed lately.

He reread Sugawara’s message, chewing at his lip before typing out a response.

(5:05) it was just me being weird. Honest. I am sorry for worrying the team. I’ll explain tomorrow.

He sent it and felt slightly relieved, shutting his eyes. Now he just needed to walk home and clean his hand, explain to his mom why he skipped school, and avoid his uncle like the plague. He was about to stand until his phone vibrated in his sweater pocket. He hesitated, reaching into his pocket to shut it off for the time being. He didn’t need anyone coming to find him just yet.

 _‘I’ll apologize tomorrow’_ he decided, grabbing his bag and walking out of the building. _‘That way it gives everyone a chance to cool off’_

* * *

Hinata’s ideas never really went according to plan.

“S-Sugawara-san!” the ginger shouted as he pointed at the setter in shock, feeling his blood run cold. The setter stood at the door, expression unreadable.

Had he been waiting? How had he gotten there before Hinata? Was he angry?

“You.” the third-year said in a tone that would put Kageyama’s yelling to shame. The ginger laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked closer.

“M-Me! Uh, what are you doing here?”

“Why did you turn your phone off? Why didn’t you answer anyone?” the third year whispered, startling the ginger into silence. He had seen Sugawara yell many times, but he had never seen him so angry that he whispered. It was like a whole other level of anger, and Hinata felt both terrified and confused.

The younger male parted his lips to speak, finding that any explanation he had come up with on the walk home was useless. Sugawara didn’t look like he wanted an excuse. He wanted a reason.

Hinata decided that he was prepared to give it to him now.

“Sugawara-san, the truth is—” he started as the front door opened to reveal Hinata’s uncle in all his glory, eyes wide at the sight before him. “Uncle!” Hinata greeted, bowing his head and forgetting about the setter immediately.

Sugawara, still seething, bowed his head as well. “Sorry for the intrusion,” he said quietly, the elder clearing his throat.

“You,” he said, pointing at Hinata. The ginger straightened, body going rigid at the gesture. “Get inside. We need to have a chat,”

Hinata nodded, turning to Sugawara cautiously.

“Would you, uh, like to come in?”

“I’d prefer if our conversation was private,”

“He can stay in my room,” Hinata insisted, placing his hands together in a begging motion. “I know you are angry, but please allow him to stay so I can talk to him about something. It is important,”

His uncle sighed, looking impatient as he nodded.

“Just hurry up and get inside,”

He left the two at the front door, Hinata swallowing hard and looking over at Sugawara with a sheepish grin.

“Come on in,” he said weakly. The third year sighed, nodding his head. While his temper was wild, Hinata knew that the setter could never hold the grudge for long. It wasn’t in his character.

“But we are going to have a serious talk,” Sugawara warned. “So you better be prepared,”

Hinata nodded, pushing the other inside gently.

“I promise,”

“And you better not run off again or so help me, Hinata,”

Hinata flushed and shook his head, allowing the other to rant, mind wandering to what his uncle could possibly want to talk about. 

* * *

 Hinata felt a bit lightheaded, using the hallway wall as a way to keep his balance. The only comfort he had was that he was not going in completely blind this time. He had researched enough during the nights to know that there were other people out there like him. He let out a breath and did his best to feign confidence.

He was not broken or anything of the sort. Kageyama didn’t even bat a lash when he asked...so why should his uncle’s opinion of him matter over his best friend's?

He knocked on the door twice, hearing a grunt and taking that as his signal to enter. The door creaked—he hated that damn door—as he stepped into the room, closing it behind him quietly. His uncle stood at the far end of the room, looking out the window. When his gaze turned onto Hinata himself, the ginger forced his eyes to remain on him, not wanting to back down this time.

His uncle looked away first as he cleared his throat.

“I was out of line,”

“Yeah, well I don—ha?” the ginger asked in shock, leaning forward slightly to make sure he had heard the words correctly. His uncle looked uncomfortable, raising a hand to rub his neck.

“I said, I was out of line. I shouldn’t have hit you,” he said gruffly, “It looks bad, your face,”

Hinata relaxed, eyes growing serious as a tense smile crossed his lips.

“That tends to happen when you get smacked by a person wearing rings,” he replied quietly. He could see his uncle visibly wince, though he wasn’t sure if it was at his tone or his blunt words.

The way he was apologizing was the complete opposite of how he had acted the week before, and Hinata found himself unable to process it.  For some reason, it made him angrier that his uncle was apologizing so easily. It was as if it was trivial to the elder male. To Hinata, this was something he had stressed over, lost sleep and appetite over. He had spent countless hours wondering whether he was in the wrong and if he should pretend that his crush was on a girl rather than a guy.

And his uncle only had a mere ‘I was out of line’ to say to him?

“That...is what you wanted to talk about? You wanted to apologize?”

The man nodded, eyeing the gash on his cheek.

“It is just that I can’t understand you,” he said with a deep sigh. “You are a confused child but you _insist..._ ”

Hinata sighed, cutting the elder off and leaning back against the wall. He had read about this kind of reaction online, surprised at how even the wording almost matched exactly.

“There isn’t a reason I can give you that you’d understand,” he muttered, crossing his arms. “Isn’t my word enough?”

The taller man took a moment, seeming irritated at the answer.

“You can’t be angry at me for feeling like this,”

The words sent a fire through his veins.

“You being angry is something you control,” Hinata snapped, brown eyes narrowed. “Me liking guys is not something I control. I think I have every right to be upset at you,”

After a few seconds of staring his nephew down, the man raised his hands in surrender. Hinata could see that he still refused to acknowledge him, but for some odd reason, having him give up first gave the first year a surge of power.

He had won, and without getting yelled at or hit again.

“Fine,” the man spoke, earning the ginger’s attention. “But this doesn’t mean I accept it,” he clarified, eyes shifting around the room.

Hinata raised a brow, squinting his eyes at him. 

“Why would you care what I do? You said I didn’t exist,” he reminded. “That I wasn’t your family. So how does who I date affect you in the slightest?”

The words came out much harsher than intended, but the meaning was all the same.

“Don’t push it, Shouyou,” his uncle said, a soft growl at the back of his throat. "I didn't  _need_  to do this," 

Hinata smiled weakly, shaking his head.

“So why did you? To lessen the guilt you had for hitting me? If you can’t even attempt to understand, then what good is an apology at all?”

The elder moved stepped forward, a small flash of fear moving throughout his body. He trembled, his uncle seeming to smirk at the reaction. It was then that Hinata realized that this was truly a game to him. He wasn't trying to make amends, he was trying to play him for a fool and scare him into apologizing in return. 

He took a step forward himself, watching as his uncle's eyes narrowed.

“I don’t need your approval of all people,” he spoke honestly. “I told my teammate and he accepted me without a doubt. His words will always mean more than yours because he listened to me _._ You don't care, you just don't want to be held responsible for what you did to me,”

Satisfied by the unreadable expression on his uncle’s face, he bowed his head and turned to leave the room. His mind was racing, another shudder threatening to move through his body.

“Shouyou,”

The teen paused, gripping the door handle tightly.

“Yes, Uncle?”

“You know I am not the only one that will tell you this, right?”

Hinata looked over his shoulder, brown eyes concentrated.

“Of course not. But I could say the same to you, couldn’t I?”

The ginger smirked.

"You didn't think I was the only person who likes guys and girls, did you?"

His uncle watched him intently, turning his back to the first year.

“Do as you wish. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,”

Hinata’s eyes went a bit wide. He looked away, taking a deep breath in. 

“I don’t need your warning.” 

He opened the door and left the room without waiting for a response, the door clicking behind him.

* * *

When Hinata entered his own room, he collapsed to his knees and let out a deep breath.

He couldn’t believe he had said all of that to his uncle of all people. He had defended himself, and his uncle had even offered half an approval, not that Hinata needed it anymore. His mind flickered to his ten-year-old self, eyes softening and a broad smile crossing his lips.

A hand touching his shoulder made him flinch, eyes flickering upwards to see Sugawara leaning beside him with a raised brow.

“You look a lot better than before,” Sugawara commented, tilting his head.

Hinata let out a breathless laugh, stumbling forward and wrapping his arms around the other’s neck. The two crumbled to the ground, the white-haired setter groaning at the action.

“Hinata, what are you—?”

“Sorry for worrying you,” the first-year whispered into his ear, smiling wide. “I fixed my problem,” he promised. “So I won’t run anymore, okay?”

Sugawara pushed him away, looking up at him with confusion laced in his expression.

“What caused this change of heart? And that still doesn’t explain your injury!” he reminded, lips pursed.

Hinata stared down at him, hands resting on the setter’s chest comfortably.

“I guess I could explain it now all things considered,” he mumbled. He felt liberated, his first obstacle cleared. 

Now for the next...

“My uncle and I got into a fight because I confessed something to him. He told me to stay away and that I was no family member of his,” he began, wondering why his throat tightened. “That is why at school I was so distracted and tried to avoid you. It wasn’t anything you had done to me. My uncle’s face scared me and I didn’t want you to make the same face towards me,”

Sugawara frowned, leaning forward so he was in a seated position.

“It’s alright. It must have really bothered you if you are crying like this,” he said softly, raising a hand to brush some of the tears. Hinata closed his eyes, feeling the embarrassment flow through him.

“Ah...I hadn’t meant to,” he mumbled honestly, wondering where it had come from. He used his hands to wipe away his tears as well, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“What was it that made him so angry that he hit you?” Sugawara questioned, tone colder than Hinata was used to hearing. The middle blocker sniffed, offering a weak smile.

“You have to promise not to freak out on me, alright?”“At this point, the only thing that could freak me out would be you up and disappearing again,”

“At this point, the only thing that could freak me out would be you up and disappearing again,”

Hinata raised a brow.

“Are you sure about that?” he tried to tease, but it came out a bit too nervous to seem natural.

Sugawara grabbed his face in his hands—as he had many times before—thumbs brushing carefully over his cheeks. His hazel eyes were warm and confident.

“I promise, you won't freak me out, Hinata,” he said so seriously that Hinata snickered. Sugawara was oddly handsome when he was so confident, Hinata thought with a light blush.

“You said it,” he reminded, leaning toward his teammate.

The third year parted his lips to ask what he was doing, mind going blank when he felt his lips press against his cheek. His body went still, eyes wide. Hinata allowed his lips to linger, trying to remember how it felt. Sugawara probably wouldn’t allow him to do it again, so he wanted to burn this into his mind.

He pulled away, immediately missing the warmth of the other’s cheek.

“My uncle hit me because I am bisexual,” he confessed, the word itself feeling odd on his tongue. It was the first time he had said it aloud, and it was kind of awkward if he had to admit it. It was also something that gave him immense relief. It was a word made for people like him by people like him.

Sugawara’s expression was neutral, no doubt processing what had happened. Hinata shifted, waiting for some type of reaction to escape the awkward atmosphere.

“You, really?” the setter asked hesitantly.

 _'I've done it now'_ Hinata thought, swallowing hard and nodding. 

"Is that bad?"

Sugawara blinked, hands pulling the other in, pressing his lips against Hinata’s own. Said teen let out a small “oomph!” hands waving widely at his sides almost comically.

Sugawara was kissing him.

_Kissing._

_Him._

On the _lips_. 

Hinata took a breath of my needed air once the other pulled away.

“Thank god,” Sugawara said with a small laugh, expression light. “I thought that when I hugged you earlier...whenever I touched you, you made this face and,”

Hinata moved to wrap his arms around his neck shyly, piecing together the other’s words.

“I thought I had scared you off,” he finished finally, Hinata couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the idea, nuzzling the taller male to hide his face.

“I have liked you since you and Tanaka let us practice for that three on three match,” he confessed, pulling away to see that Sugawara’s face had turned a light pink color.

“Well, you weren’t exactly open about it!” Sugawara muttered, expression embarrassed. “And I have you beat considering I started to like you when I was helping you practice,”

“Really?!”

Sugawara nodded his head, leaning forward to press his forehead against his teammate’s.

“You were cute and you worked so hard. It was hard not to fall for you. It hit me like a brick,”

The words that Hinata had been wanting to hear for months were suddenly a reality, the smile on his lips unmanageable.

“Why didn’t you tell me?! You didn't give me any hints that you liked me at all!”

The third year shrugged, hands resting on Hinata’s hips cautiously.

“You were a first year and you seemed so focused on volleyball I didn’t want to distract you. Besides, you and Kageyama were getting closer and, well, you looked good together,”

Hinata made a face, shaking his head vigorously.

“Kageyama and I? Never!” he said with so much confidence that Sugawara couldn’t help the smile that made its way to his lips.

“Well, what about you? Why didn’t you tell me?”

The ginger gave him a ‘Really?’ look, but answered anyway.

“Well, for starters, I thought you would find it gross,” he reminded. “And second, you and Daichi were always stuck at the hip. Half of the team thought you were together already,”

“But Daichi is my best friend. And he has his eye on another person,” he said with a sigh. “I did like him at first, but that crush died around our second year...a certain middle schooler who spiked a stray set had managed to catch my attention,” he revealed with a shy smile.

Hinata straightened, cheeks flushed.

“We lost that game, though,”

“But you never gave up. It was admirable,”

Hinata shut his eyes, pulling the third year close and taking in a deep breath.

_‘This is okay? This isn’t a bad thing? I can like him? He likes me back?’_

“Hinata, you aren’t crying again, are you?”

With a sniff, the ginger pouted, shaking his head but not looking at him in the eyes.

“Of course not. That would be embarrassing,” he denied, voice breaking off at the end of his words.

“No it wouldn't. It is better than being a grumpy little thing~” Sugawara teased. He closed his own eyes, figuring that disinfecting Hinata’s injuries could wait for the time being.

He was more focused on the fact that Hinata was clinging to him, slender frame shaking every so often.

“Don’t cry,” the setter said softly, rubbing soothing circles on his back. “I’m here.”

* * *

  _Sugawara Koushi_

* * *

Watching Hinata sleep might be a surprisingly interesting pastime, Sugawara discovered. He pushed some of his orange hair from his face, pressing it back. When he let it go, it bounced back into its normal position, a chuckle leaving his lips.

 _‘Just how much stress were you under that you knocked out like that right after confessing?’_ he thought to himself, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead gently.

Hearing that his kohai had liked him back had been one of the most relieving things he had heard in his life. He had been concerned, unable to believe that Hinata would focus on anything other than volleyball. He hadn’t seemed interested in relationships and dating, but here they were, Sugawara lying beside him as the first year clung to him in his sleep.

It wasn’t easy convincing Hinata’s mother to let him stay the night considering that Hinata had been in trouble for skipping school. After settling on a week of being grounded, Hinata had pleaded on his behalf, stating it was too late to go down the mountain without proper lighting.

His boyfriend was such a smooth talker when he wanted to be.

Sugawara shut his eyes, about to attempt to sleep until his phone went off, vibrating against the nightstand. He grabbed it quickly, making sure Hinata hadn’t woken up before unlocking the phone.

(1:12) How did it go?

Sugawara’s tired mind took a moment to process the words, fingers tapping away once it clicked.

(1:13) Well. He confessed everything. That intuition of yours is truly horrifying, Kageyama-san.

(1:14) It wasn’t as much intuition as common sense. Half the team knew before you both did.

A blush crossed the setter’s cheeks, his throat clearing. He was sure he had contained himself during practices, though. Perhaps the team was a lot more attentive than he had once believed.

(1:15) Yeah, well, thanks. I thought you two would have a better chance than we would.

(1:15) Hinata and I? Gross. Never.

He snickered.

(1:16) Funny, he had the same reaction. But thanks again, for the directions and all.

Hinata shifted, snuggling up to the setter, flinching in his sleep when he touched the bandage on his cheek. Sugawara frowned, helping the first year adjust so he wasn’t placing pressure on the injury. How anyone could lay a hand on the bright middle blocker, Sugawara wasn’t sure. To know it was a family member made it even worse, as Hinata had no choice but to return home after practice. It was a wonder that he hadn’t passed out since stress wasn’t his strong suit.

His phone vibrated again, flashing the light in his eyes and blinding him for a moment.

(1:19) Just make sure he goes to practice from now on.

He chuckled and shook his head. Typical Kageyama.

(1:20) Right. You should get some rest as well. Have a good night.

The third year didn’t wait for a response, placing the phone on silent and putting it back on the nightstand. He wrapped his arms around Hinata, it feeling surreal that he was even allowed to do such a thing.

With his eyes closed, he found himself remembering the first time he had practiced with Hinata, his bright smile and laughter enough to send his heart into a frenzy.

 _‘How embarrassing’_ he thought, amusement filling his mind as he began to drift off.

_‘How much I like this guy’_

  



End file.
